rips through kansas city and illinois. >> reporter: crews are digging out, trying to clear rubble and salvage what remains of homes and businesses in harrisburg, illinois. the deadly storm flattened houses and uprooted trees. >> it's just your worst nightmare coming true. >> reporter: the powerful storm actually leveled a strip mall just before dawn. >> i'm just glad it happened overnight. no one was at work. this would have been horrible. >> there were 16 it happened sight -- tornado sightings across the midwest. a twister touched down in harvey, kansas. more than a dozen people were injured there. >> and she scraped. and we went into the bathtub. >> reporter: the tornado took just three minutes to decimate nearly half the town, including a church. >> we split up and went around checking neighbors so that was really the first thought. not that the church was gone

but making sure people were okay. >> reporter: this home was split open. a family car is now in the kitchen. and it looks like a twister went through the tourist town of branson, missouri. witnesses say they saw funnel clouds ping-pong across the city's main strip. it took the roofs off some hotels and damaged music theaters, which could cost the city big. missouri's governor declared a state of emergency and toured the damage. >> 11 million visitors a year come to this tourism mecca of our country. we want to help them as quickly as we can to get those moved to get it stood back up. >> reporter: the governor says branson will be back, bigger and better. bigat shaban, wjz eyewitness news. >> there were three deaths in missouri, including one person who was killed in a trailer park near branson. >> well, here in maryland, that same system brought us heavy rain today. lots of clouds out there right now. and another round of rain is moving through. meteorologist bernadette woods and bob turk are tracking first warning live doppler radar. we'll start inside with bob. we had rain this morning.

another batch moving through around the early afternoon. now, another batch moving into the western sections of the region. and there's been heavy rains falling across portions of allegheny county. around the cumberland area, some of the streams are rising. that's where they're seeing the heaviest rain. baltimore region now. rain moving into the frederick area. that's going to be crossing that region. probably see something rain here in the next hour or two, as it moves in from that area. and later tonight, we could still see some shower and even thundershower activity across even north central maryland. and particularly south of the washington area, and southern maryland. temperature-wise, bernadette woods in the outback where it's quiet now. but temperatures are actually coming out since they were out this afternoon. come up about 4 or 5 degrees. >> there's a lot of really warm air. and we'll benefit from that tomorrow. but today is our cooler day of the last few. even though it's cooler, we're still above average. it's 51 degrees in baltimore. you do notice a couple of 40s in hagerstown and cumberland. but just over the mountains, starting to warm up. 53 in oakland.

and when you get into west virginia, the temperatures are soaring already. now, compared to yesterday at this time, it is cooler in the order of five to 10 degrees. but as we said, still above average. and that's why we are getting rain out of this storm. we'll have your forecast coming up. back to you inside. stay with wjz for first warning weather. to stay with us any time, log onto wjz.com. a sheriff's deputy is shot during a barricade situation in a quiet down on maryland's eastern shore. but that's only the beginning of this story. wjz is live in cambridge. mike schuh has more on what happened. mike? >> reporter: well, kai. police will tell you that police shooting incidents are usually over in a matter of minutes. but here in cambridge, it started inside, moved outside, and like the wild west, continued for over a half hour. >> reporter: police say when a u.s. marshal's task force, acting on a tip, came for tevon dobson, he hid upstairs at a friend's house. he stepped up, opening fire, hitting the wicomico deputy. >> i heard a boom.

>> reporter: police and dobson keep firing. >> like gunshots, going back and forth. >> told him to come on in. >> reporter: both windows, blown out. slugs slam into nearby homes. >> we're talking 30, probably 40 shots were fired. >> very unusual? >> very unusual. probably a total of 30 minutes. 30, maybe 45 minutes. on and off. >> pow, pow. >> reporter: once the officer was evacuated, now the waiting game begins. and this neighborhood is put on lockdown. >> that end of robinson street was locked off. this was blocked off. center street was blocked off. and there was nobody anywhere. and nobody could go anywhere. >> reporter: it's a two-hour standoff. after an hour, a woman caught inside is released. police then bring in a relative to talk sense into dobb song. >> he was either going to walk out or be carried out. >> i hate to put it like that. you know, you hope it doesn't come to that. i mean -- but basically that was his choice at that point. and he made the right choice.

>> reporter: dobson has been wanted for five months. he's wanted on five different warrants. the original ones, forgery and burglary. he is being held here now on those warrants. now, everything that happened today, state police are charging him in that case. and it's expected that attempted murder charges are forthcoming. reporting live in cambridge, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you on tv hill. >> mike, thank you. the bullet passed through the injured officer's left shoulder and he was taken to a salisbury hospital. doctors considered his injuries nonlife-threatening. a graduate of owings mills high school pleads guilty to terror charges at guantanamo bay. denise is in the newsroom to explain why this is important to the federal government. >> reporter: the former government man is considered high value. majid kahn pleaded guilty today to planning attacks on gas stations in the united states.

and conspiring to kill pakistani residents pervez musharraf. he graduated from owings mills high school in 1999. as part of the deal with the government, he is expected to testify with other guantanamo detainees, including the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. mary? >> denise, thank you. wjz speaks to homeland security about the significance of kahn's conviction. coming up all new at 6:00. a baltimore city father is behind bars, accuse of killing his 5-year-old daughter. tonight, we're learning the reason he gave police. wjz police headquarters. mike hellgren has more on the latest on this developing investigation. >> reporter: and that reason here, the motive, kai, is disturbing. they say it's because she went to the bathroom in her pants. and a judge called her dad a flight risk. and a risk to public safety, and ordered him held without bail. >> reporter: inside this house on callaway avenue in north baltimore, police say matthew car became so angry that his 5-

year-old daughter maya soiled herself, he beat her so severely, the little girl died. >> bruising. broken ribs. they found fractions to the face. >> reporter: charging documents reveal car confessed to beating his child immediately with his hands. he began to hit her all over the body. then they say she stopped breathing. detectives say the bathroom was recently cleaned and had a strong odor of bleach. but they found blood in car's bedroom. joe richard's child was the victim's play mate. >> how do you comfort your daughter? >> with love. sad state of affairs, man. 5 years old. >> reporter: according to these charging documents, the little girl was taken her to sinai hospital, where she had visible injuries to her arms and legs, blood in her nostril and near her vagina. >> reporter: police say he did not have custody of maya but she was visiting him. >> we got information that

whenever the girl left his presence, she wasn't quite the same. >> reporter: car had no criminal record. neighbors placed a memorial on the front porch why she -- where she died. >> never in a million years. never in a million years. that's that is why it is paramount that we watch our daughter. >> reporter: and police say when they found car after the murder, he appeared to have been drinking. live at headquarters, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> police say the autopsy revealed the girl's death was a homicide by blunt force traum a. also, hazmat forces the evacuation of the health department on north caroline street. firefighters say at least one person was treated for exposure. the building is now being cleaned and ventilated. an anne arundel county jury rejects the death penalty for the man accused of killing a corrections officer. lee stevens will spend the rest of his life in prison, without parole. wjz is live. weijia jiang spoke to the

victim's family. weijia? >> reporter: the complicated deliberations. they are relieved to know the sentence, even though it's not the capital punishment they hoped for. >> reporter: family members of corporal david mcgwynn embraced each other after hearing his killer would die behind bars remember. >> it does help put some closure to it. of course, it's going to be a lot of time before i could ever move past that. >> reporter: after deliberating for a week, a juror sentenced 32-year-old lee stevens to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. they could have given him the death penalty. steves' attorney. -- stevens' attorney. >> it is a severe, long- lasting, draconian punishment. of which, make no mistake about that. this is not a slap on the wrist. >> reporter: in 2006, stevens murdered mcgwynn in the house of jessop. stevens was serving a life sentence for another murder. the case marks the first time prosecutors used dna evidence to pursue the death penalty, under maryland's new capital

punishment law. jurors had to weigh the crimes against a long list of mitigating factors. >> reporter: the jurors came up with several reasons of their own, not to give stevens the death penalty. >> reporter: they wrote about his violent childhood, filled with poverty and sex abuse. outside the courthouse, stevens' mother and sister had no comment. jurors also said the state failed to provide a safe place. >> the only question i have is why. and i'm pretty sure that if i ask him, that he would never have the answer. >> reporter: and even though stevens was already serving a life sentence, back then, he had a chance at parole, a chance he'll never have again. reporting live, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> another inmate is charmed in this case. he will have a hearing in april to determine if he's competent to stand trial. an update tonight on the mystery surrounding the president of maryland's largest public university. umuc, president susan aldridge

was abruptly placed on administrative leave. although her departure has raised questions, it still may be a few weeks before he can provide any explanation. still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. mourning the loss of a musical heartthrob. details tonight about the sudden death of davy jones. no more zero tolerance. it's what state school leaders want. why they're revamping the discipline code statewide. i'm gigi barnett. that story is next. i'm jessica kartalija. coming up on wjz, how a baltimore county teacher is cell bracing the same birthday as one of its own students will i'll -- students. i'll explain. when will the skies get clear again? bob has the answer in the forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

he was the lead singer of one of the most popular groups of the '60s. davy jones of the monkees has died at the age of 66. >> here we come ♪ walking down the street ♪ >> davy jones was already a seasoned performer when producers picked him and three other unknowns to be the monkees. it was 1965, and the beatles were invading america. hollywood wanted to create its own american version. the monkees tv show featured the comediantics and music of the group with jones as the heartthrob lead singer. jones was the only british monkee. the band churned out a string of hits, including "i'm a believer," and "day dream believer," which jones sang lead. most were written by well-known song writers.

critics dubbed the group, the pre-fab four, a knock jones dismissed. >> the press lane label -- labeled it as a manufactured band. but like anything, you make arrangements to do stuff. >> reporter: the show aired from 1966 to 1968 and turned jones into a teen idol. he continued acting. >> the monkees got their own star on the holed we-- hollywood walk of fame. >> i think everybody remembers that song "hey, hey, we're the monkees ." >> i'm a believer. big fan of them back in the day. >> i could hide ♪ >> reporter: jones periodically reunited with some of his former band mates and toured. >> i have had people say, aren't you sick of "day dream believer"? and i say, no. because this is the first time some of these people have seen me singing this song. >> davy jones died in florida at a hospital, where he owned a home. all of the monkees' first

seven singles rose to the top three stops on the billboard charts. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check in with kristy breslin. wjz traffic control. >> reporter: pretty much delays everywhere. northbound 95, heavy congestion, 895 to whitemarsh boulevard. over on the soargt north side inner loop. stop and go there. and the west side inner loop, just continues to crawl along, from southwestern boulevard past security. as far as the harrisburg expressway goes in the northbound direction, bumper to bumper there, from shawan road to belfast. two accidents in the towson area. west road at york road. also, east joppa at loch raven boulevard. other accidents include greenmount at east/northeast avenue. and south president. we'll take a live look as you can see, on the right-hand side of your screen. quite a build there on the harrisburg expressway. this traffic report is brought to you by pizza bolis. stop in and enjoy two medium,

one-topping pizzas. only at pizza bolis. back to you. february 29th comes along once every four years. and for those born on leap year, birthdays are few and far between. jessica kartalija explains why today is a big celebration for some maryland leaplings. >> happy birthday, mr. siegel. >> thank you. >> reporter: glen siegel, a math and science teacher at cockeysville middle school is now the same age as his sixth grade students. this is my 12th birthday. >> reporter: he is a so-called leapling, born on a leap day. >> when the earth revolves around the sun, it takes more than 365 days. it's about five hours and 46 minutes more than that. so if you multiply that by four, all of a sudden, there's an extra day you have to add to take care of that. >> reporter: believe it or not, mr. siegel is not the only

person here at cockeysville middle, celebrating his 12th birthday. >> tiffany is technically 12. but the calendar says she's just 3. >> it is the only day on the calendar that comes once every four years. >> reporter: kumari davis is a little leapling, fresh out of the oven. >> every four years, he'll have a birthday. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the odds of being a leap year baby are 1 in 1,461. with 75% fewer birthdays, some leaplings say it maybes them feel -- makes them feel young, even if they are old enough to be your teacher. >> i've had 11 birthdays. figure out how old i am. >> you do the math. you can thank julius caesar and his astronomer for adding this extra day to the calendar some 2,000 years ago. i don't think i'd mind a birthday every four years, kai.

>> that would be kind of cool. >> makes the wrinkle goes away, too. >> in most states, leaplings are required to wait until march 1st, before being able to drink alcohol. we have rain in the region. heavier rain to the south and west of us. right now, we're at 50 degrees. humidity up to 96%. south winds barely moving there. the barometer is holding steady. come back and take a look at live radar after this. what's the matter? uh, trouble with a car insurance claim. ah, claim trouble. [ dennis ] you should just switch to allstate, and get their new claim satisfaction guarantee. hey, he's right man. [ dennis ] only allstate puts their money where their mouth is. yup. [ dennis ] claim service so good, it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] so i can always count on them. unlike randy over there. that's one dumb dude.

♪ the new claim satisfaction guarantee. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. i had to switch my insurance plan. but then my prescriptions got more expensive. i felt helpless... frustrated. it was very frustrating. then john... maurice... jill stepped in... made some calls... and saved me hundreds of dollars. that's a lot. it meant a lot to me. taking the time to help you with insurance questions. another reason to transfer your prescriptions today. ♪ i'm carol, and i bring all my prescriptions to my cvs.

it is a gray damp day. >> it is very beneficial. we had about an inch of rain over four or five or six-hour period. this time of year, that's a good thing. hasn't been all that wet recently. we do have more rain. take a look at radar. there's a whole batch of it across western sections of the area. locally, we have shower activity, just moving in again to the baltimore, washington area. there you see it. from thurmont down to crofton, just all the way through

columbia now. we'll see this rain in the next hour. out to the west, there's heavy stuff. thunder and light nin down there. -- lightning down there. and more stuff going on in virginia and west virginia. some of those thunderstorms producing heavy downpours as well. we have a risk this evening and later tonight, have some shower and each thundershower activity across central and northern maryland, particularly across southern areas of the region, where it's getting a little warmer. right now, we're alt 50 degrees to the west. warming up in oakland, at 53, 51, washington. warm spot locally is patuxent, 57. in virginia, some are in the 60s. warm, unstable air can help to warm the air down there. still stuck in the ocean marine air. very stable. we may have thunder and lightning later on. and heavy downpours as we pick up another half inch or more of rain. 54, 54 in annapolis.

47, rather cool, with shower activity moving into westminster. right now, very light. southerly, and we've had east/northeast winds during the day. now, tomorrow, the wind goes right back to the west. clearly, moving all of the moisture out here and sunshine and warmer temps will be following. a lot of rain here in the east and snow to the north. in fact, some areas could pick up rain. that's the most we've seen since last october. end of october, big snowstorm. rain moving through this morning. and a little batch. that's where the heavy activity is. southwest virginia and a little east kentucky. but it quickly clears out through ohio as you can see. during the morning, maybe a few leftover clouds. high pressure builds in. and on friday night, more clouds come in with another warm front. showers likely late friday night, probably after midnight.

and saturday morning. but it's going to be mild until late saturday. winds will be shifting. and a small craft advisory on the bay. bay temp up to 44. tonight, fog and shower and each some thundershowers, or thunderstorms, you may call them. 48 to the low 50s. 66 tomorrow afternoon. partly sunny, breezy. drying out. it's going to be a really nice afternoon, after a messy night tonight. >> we will take it. thank you, bob. still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. communion controversy. why a maryland woman is upset with the catholic priest for his actions during her mother's funeral. new details about the suspect shooting in ohio. did he steal the gun used in the attack. how safe are cruise ships. how their story could impact future vacations at sea. ,,,,,,,

it's 5:29, 50 degrees with some clouds and rain. good evening. thank you for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. student suspensions. maryland school leaders are on a quest to slash the soaring number. in tonight's school watch report, gigi barnett explains the possible changes coming to the discipline code at schools across the state.

>> reporter: after a two-year review of a near 0 tolerance policy, state school leaders say too many students are kicked out of school for minor violations. it's all detailed in this newly- released study. and interim school superintendent bernard sadusky says it's time to change the codes. >> there are students who have been on what we call long-term suspensions, not receiving educational services. >> reporter: sudusky says that extended time out of class, especially on a 10-day suspension, is a problem. >> what the numbers tell us, sha -- is that these students become the dropouts. and we can't have that. >> reporter: maryland's number of suspensions is staggering. last year, 11,000 students were sent home for bad behavior. and an overwhelming majority of those students were minority or special needs. >> why are these numbers higher than the general population? >> reporter: center springs middle and elementary in baltimore have discovered a way

to stem the tide. in just one year, her staff slashed the number of suspensions to 8, all by allowing students to talk through their issues. >> i think there are some things that suspension is warranted. but it's not warranted for every little thing. >> reporter: but there are some big things that call for a suspension. or even expulsion. the school board says, only in a case where the student brings a weapon or drugs to class, will they turn to expulsion for discipline. >> all of maryland's 24 school districts have one year to create a plan to drop the number of suspensions. and three years to put that plan into action. the prince george's county fire that injured seven firefighters is being ruled arson. the blaze broke out in a vacant home in riverdiseal friday night. river dale friday night. investigators believe it is related to another in that area.

kevin o'toole is in critical but stable condition, with burns over 50% of his body. an 82-year-old man is shot by an intruder in his anne arundel county home. it happened overnight in the 1300 block of sleepy hollow road. police say the elderly man woke to noises in his house. and when he went to investigate, he struggled with a stranger in his kitchen and was shot with his own gun. the victim is expected to survive. police are still looking for the suspect. new information tonight, regarding the gun used in the deadly shooting at an ohio high school. vic is live right now, with details, plus the chilling 911 calls from the school. vic? >> police officials familiar with the case said that tj lane told them he used a gun stolen from his uncle. these 911 tapes capture the moments when it happened. >> 911, what is your emergency? >> we just had a shooting at our school. we need to get out of here. >> okay, ma'am -- we have a school shooting.

ma'am? what school? >> chardon high school. >> tj lane was ordered to be held in juvenile court for 15 days. prosecutors say the 15-year-old admitted to firing 10 shots at a group of students sitting in the cafeteria. three died in the assault and two others injured, one of them remains in serious condition. prosecutors are examined to -- expected to ask that lane be tried as an adult. >> classes are expected to resume friday. an encouraging sign between the relationship between the u.s. and egypt. several americans facing trial in that country are free to travel. the group is charged with illegally obtaining money. the issue placed the $1.5 billion in american aid to egypt at risk. passengers stranded on the disabled costa alegra will be forced to wait yet another night before they are pulled ashore. this is the second major cruise disaster in just over a month.

as alison harmelin reports for wjz, congress wants to know what the u.s. can do to keep americans safe at sea. >> reporter: the italian cruise liner, costa alegra is on its way to the shell islands, after it was disabled in pirate- infested waters. all passengers are uninjured, but weary from days with little food and water and no electricity. this is the second accident in just over a month. 25 people died when the costa concordia struck a reef off of italian coast. officials have charged the captain with abandoning his ship. >> we had a captain who forgot he was a captain. >> reporter: coast guard vice admiral brian solerno assured that any ship entering american ports are held to the highest standards. >> reporter: since the costa concordia accident, the cruise line industry has put new safety rules in place.

now, emergency drills are conducted before the ship even leaves the dock. >> reporter: american samir and diffia sharma boarded the conia concord -- costa concordia to celebrate their anniversary. by dinnertime, they were fighting for their lives. >> there was no order. and everyone was kicking, pushing and shoving to get onto a life boat. >> reporter: a preliminary report indicates that the crew had not been adequately trained for emergency situations. >> we saw the crew around us, panicked, frustrated and clueless. >> reporter: in new york, alison harmelin, wjz eyewitness news. >> american-based carnival cruise lines owns the costa cruise liners. mitt romney hits the road after winning arizona and michigan. all four gop candidates are now betting heavily on super tuesday. that's when voters in 10 states head to the polls next week.

those will go a long way in determining which republican will face president obama, where they could set the stage for an even longer primary battle. >> you're going to have a choice in ohio, about people running for president. first in our nomination process. do you want someone who spent his life in the private sector, who understands where jobs come from? or someone who spent his career in washington? >> the tv wars are under way. mittmitt romney and the super pack that supports him have spent billions on the super pack. a maryland woman says a priest refused her communion during her mother's funeral. she says the priest had a problem with her sexual orientation. >> i was stunned. >> reporter: it has been an extremely difficult week for barbara johnson. perhaps the most difficult week of her life. >> i feel so sad. >> reporter: it all started at st. john catholic newman church, where friends and family gathered to say goodbye

to barbara's mother, who died last week after a brief illness. >> i was in the first seat, next to my mother's coffin. >> reporter: father garnle nizo, who was presiding over the service, apparently learned that barbara was involved in a romantic relationship with a woman. >> i am a lesbian. >> reporter: a life long catholic, she said she had not even considered her sexual orientation would be a problem with father marcel, until she stepped forward to take communion. >> he said, i cannot given you communion because you live with a woman. >> reporter: barbara said she tried to compose herself to try to give her mother the dignified funeral she deserved. so a few moments later, barbara began her mother's eulogy. >> at which time, father marcel left the altar and did not return until i finished my eulogy. >> reporter: according to barbara, the story gets even worse. because after first refusing to give her communion and walking off the altar when she was

giving the eulogy, father marcel refused to accompany her to the funeral home. she said she was told that father marcel had suddenly become ill. >> we don't get a doo-over. do-over. this was her one moment to pass from this earth. >> reporter: in a written statement, the archdiocese acknowledged that father marcel acted improperly, saying he should have talked with the parishioner in private. washington, d.c. metro unveiled a new alert system designed to update commuters. metro alerts sends e-mails and text message alerts to bus passengers about things like routes and delays, detours. metro also says the neur system will a -- the new system will allow new service changes. time for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun. the wife of a maryland national

guardsman, recent kelley kill -- recently killed in iraq. meet a doctor who opened nup track of patience. coverage of girl's high school basketball regional play- offs. for these stories and more, read the baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast, from wjz's first warning weather team. it wasn't your usual field trip. but then neither is life at sea. alex demetrick reports, both elements came together today at baltimore's port. >> there are two of the federal maritime administration's largest ships. immense cargo carriers, used in war and disaster relief. and occasionally, recruiting. today, maryland high school students were welcomed aboard. >> to show younger generation what it is that the maritime industry does. >> reporter: civilians run the government ships and took questions, ranging from technical operations to sea stories. radar can't compete with pirates. >> i've beginning through

pirate waters and heard confrontation on the radio, where i heard machine guns in the background. >> reporter: students worked enough to form strong first impressions. >> just a lot of technology. >> i've been on a ship, but not like this. >> what's the difference between the one you were on before and this one? >> the one -- this is like that military stuff. the one i went on was a cruise. >> reporter: but this brief exposure to a different way of living and working is what the tour is all about. >> if we provide the information to the bulk of these guys who at least appear to be interested today, some would walk away from here with an opportunity that they didn't know about. >> reporter: alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> the ship they toured today is part of the nation's ready reserve fleet, which can be put to sea within five days of being ordered. >> wow. >> incredible. >> massive. still ahead on eyewitness news. cyber criminals under arrest. where police caught dozens of people, accused of hacking into credit card websites. how did jack nicholson end

up on a fake id? we'll explain how the oscar winner's picture is tied to a major case of identity theft. i'm bob turk. a dry and mild end of the week. after tonight, i'll have the exclusive first warning five- day forecast. here's today's report from wall street.

it's the little things in life that make me smile. spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in,

it's about keeping the food particles out. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. all right. more rain moving through much of central maryland. and heavy activities to the west of us. we still could see some thunder and lightning and heavy showers, until about midnight. and then things will get a little better. bernadette has a look at tomorrow's forecast. big improvement. bernadette? >> that's right. this storm is going to keep moving through over the next several hours. and thunderstorms are possible. now, for tomorrow, still going to see some clouds during morning hours. with temperatures in the 40s. but as we head through the afternoon, debris picks up. and it's a warm one at 64 for our high. then we start to drop tomorrow night. for the rest of the five-day, here's bob. breezy drying out. beautiful in the 60s. upper to mid-50s with sunshine. and clouds at night. chance of showers late at night. or after midnight, into saturday morning. 58.

but it gets chilly and breezy on sunday. 49. and a pretty chilly day for march at least. early march. 44/26. but sunshine on monday. mary? >> all right, bob. thank you. in today's energy saver, if you're in the market for a space heater, make sure you're getting an energy-efficient model. make sure to look for a thermostat and timer settings. these can keep rooms from being overheated. and compare the wattages of similar models to see which ones use less energy. for more on how you can become an energy saver, go to wjz.com and click on our special section. an intense search is under way for survivors in alabama after a u.s. coast guard helicopter crashes off the coast. the chopper, the mh65 dolphin went down overnight, while on a training mission. one person is dead. three others are missing. rescue crews are still searching. the cause is under investigation. 25 members of the group

anonymous, are arrested for online hacking. the suspects, ages 17 to 40, are accused of planning cyber attacks against columbia's defense ministry. anonymous made headlines in 2010, when it hacked master card, visa, and pay pal websites. the son of rupert murdoch is stepping down from his position at news international. james murdoch is resigning as executive of the newspaper arm of his father's media empire. this will remove him from the alleged phone hacking at the news of the world. he says he plans to focus on the company's expanding telephone business. apparently the company tried to open a bank account in brazil, with a fake id, using nicholson's picture on it. the suspect looks nothing like the oscar-winning actor. but to his credit, he did use his name. he is now waiting for trial.

in tonight's wjz health watch, groups around the world are making rare diseases -- or marking rather, rare diseases day. oftentimes, the disorders fatal and there are no cures. this little boy was diagnosed with san felipo syndrome, two and a half years ago. the metabolic disease causes severe neurological damage. he will eventually lose the ability to walk, talk and eat. his parents are determined to raise money for research. it's your absolute worst nightmare. i mean, complete shock. in the united states, there are 18 children with san felipos, subtype c. nobody lives past the age of 30. >> there are close to 7,000 rare diseases. and you know, they affect more than 25 million americans. for 30 years, one local company has made it their mission to offer affordable housing to the community. monique griego has more on how harper house in columbia is

doing just that. >> reporter: having their own place to fix up and decorate is a big step for marcia sanders, after hurricane katrina forced her from her home in lawz lawz. >> it was devastating. emotionally, financially. >> sanders felt lost until she found home in harpers columbia. >> once i got here, it was just a reloose to know that this was my grace. >> reporter: jim and patty roust started enterprise homes with one goal in mind. >> they wanted to make sure that there was fitting affordable housing for people of all walks of life. >> reporter: now on the company's 30th anniversary, sanders says she's proof roust is reaching his dream. because without harper house, she wouldn't have a home. >> at the time, i wasn't working. and my rent was really affordable. that was a huge life changer for me. >> recently, harper house underwent $21 million in

renovation. they wanted to show people of all incomes. >> you know, your environment can make a huge difference in your outlook. so i feel renewed in a way. . >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> enterprise has many low- income housing projects in maryland and across the country. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00, for all new stories coming up, denise is in the newsroom with a preview. denise? mary, a home grown terror. a former maryland man pleads guilty and wants to cooperate with prosecutors. new at 6:00, what this could mean on the war on terror? check in with eyewitness news, and the breaking news at 6:00. hundreds of people in the big easy get together to set a world record. and all they had to do was fall down. 850 participated in the attempt to set a guinness world record for the largest ever human mattress domino. previous included 550 people. afterwards, all of those comfy

mattresses were donated to charity. >> that looks like fun. there are some world records, where you go, huh-uh. could never do that. that looks like fun. lots of anticipation. you have to stand there, so still. waiting, waiting, waiting. >> i wonder if somebody accidentally knocks them down. >> that would be bad. they're heavy. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. we'll hear from one of the players the o's are counting on, to have a breakout season. mark has the latest on spring training coming up. ,,,,,

spring training is time for some players to improve. the orioles are counting on one of their outfielders to seize the opportunity. sports director mark viviano has that. >> right before the o's opening spring training, i asked general manager dan duquette, which player he is looking to open the breakout year. rimold is not a rookie or even considered a young player anymore. he's 28 years old, entering his fourth season in the big

league. he's been limited by injuries and inconsistent play. but he knows the starting spot in left field can be his if he latches on in sarasota. reimold says he has worked hard with that specific goal in mind. >> i didn't want to let the opportunity get away. so i wanted to take advantage of every opportunity i'm given. i think i'm getting better. i'm progressing out there in left field. so, you know, fully i'll be holding my own out there in left field this year. >> told them, be comfortable. be the athlete that you are. he's an unbelievable athlete. and he needs to go out there and not be afraid to make mistakes. >> today's workout featured dylan bundy. orioles hitters say they were impressed with a 19-year-old right-hander, who dazzled with an array of pitches. bundy was e therthis year. he'll be in the minor leagues this season. more from the o's spring training coming up.

plus, tes take on the tarheels. we'll hear from coach mark turgeon in sports at 6:00. back to you for now, mary. >> a dramatic rescue mission saves a trapped horse. the animal started sinking into mud. the mud acted so much like quicksand, pulling the horse deeper and deeper into the pit. well, rescuers managed to pull the horse to safety, with ropes and slings. it took many, many hours, though. the horse only suffered minor bruising. the owner stayed with him for all that time, right by his side. >> look at that. still ahead on eyewitness . taken m mike hellgren in north baltimore. a dad is in jail for murdering his 5-year-old. i'll have new details in the investigation. and what happened to the dad in court? ,,,,,, it's time to get going.

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coming up right now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. unthinkable crime. a baltimore man arrested in the death of his young daughter. why police say he killed her. i'm mike schuh in cambridge. multiple shots here in this neighborhood. when an officer is hit, trying to serve a warrant. what happened to him and the suspect, when we return. al qaeda operative. a terrorist who graduated from a high school in baltimore county, pleads guilty. what this means for the war on terror. another line of heavy rain moving this way. first warning weather team is tracking it all. >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking

news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. home-grown terror. a high school graduate from baltimore county, pleads guilty to plotting with al qaeda. >> tonight, how he has agreed to help fight the r on terror. >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm c carter. >> majid khan once pleaded with one of the most known terrorists in the world. now he says he is ready to testify against them. derek valcourt has more on this plea deal and ties to maryland. >> he lives in maryland for ar